We at Fletcher Heald were saddened today to learn of the death of Taft Snowdon. His name may be unfamiliar to many – perhaps even most – broadcasters, but for more years than we care to count he played a crucial role as far as the radio industry was concerned. Taft was a long-time – more than three decades – FCC attorney who supervised the processing of all assignment and transfer applications in the Audio Division. If you had a radio deal that needed Commission approval in the last 20 years, more than likely Taft looked at it and signed off on it. It is a measure of Taft’s talent that, under his watchful eye, thousands of radio assignment/transfer applications have been processed with a clockwork consistency and predictability not often encountered in the federal bureaucracy.
Taft was reasonable, and he was smart, and he would listen. He treated you with courtesy and respect, and he gave you a straight answer. He could be very funny, too. Maybe he’d give you what you asked for, maybe he wouldn’t – but it was always a pleasure to interact with him. A true professional, and a really nice guy. We extend our condolences to his family. We will miss him.
